The Boston Celtics signed guard Dalano Banton as their second free agent signing of the summer.
Banton is a big guard at 6-foot-9 and has long arms with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He’s a true guard, as 98 percent of his minutes are allocated between point guard and shooting guard.
Still only 23-years-old, Banton is finding his way in the NBA. Spending his first two years in Toronto, he saw 10.3 minutes across 95 games, averaging 41.6 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from behind the arc.
The third-year guard connected on 50.6 percent of his two-point shots last season. Although Banton isn’t a 3-point shooter, it’s fair to say that the Celtics will benefit from having players who can hit shots from inside the arc.
He’s gritty and hustles defensively, a quality the C’s will miss after trading Marcus Smart. He gives 110 percent every time on both ends of the court, it’ll be interesting to see how Boston moves forward with Banton.
It’s hard to believe that Banton will be utilized as a guard in Boston considering there’s currently three already on the roster and another in JD Davison who’s competing for a roster spot of his own but is arguably ahead of Banton in regards to progression as a point guard.
Banton signed a two-year deal worth $4,216,676 with a play option in 2024-24. The signing is great for the value and the potential upside of what he’ll become for Boston.
The comparison that comes to mind is the rookie year of Jose Alvarado coming off the bench as a pestering defender that transitions the ball to offense.
Both Pritchard and JDD are better shooters and passers for Boston’s system than Banton, so it’s hard to see him getting run at point guard over them.
Boston will have to find a way to best use Banton and I think being a pesty defender is a way to start.
It’s worth mentioning that Pritchard’s future in Boston is still up in the air, as he’s requested a trade multiple times from the team. But after trading Smart, it’s unknown what the future is for Boston’s guard position.
Follow us on Twitter @CelticsFiles
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Celtics Files 
One response to “How Dalano Banton will fit with the Celtics”
[…] free agency opened, Stevens added Dalano Banton (6-foot-9) and Oshae Brissett (6-foot-7), two players with size that can play between two through […]
LikeLike